Adams Golf has become known primarily for their presence on the Champions Tour and for making some of the most forgiving irons and hybrids in the game.
More recently they’ve leveraged their success in hybrids to pioneer integrated hybrid/iron sets as we wrote about here. That they’re the leading hybrid brand on the combined PGA, Champions, and Nationwide Tours is extraordinary given their limited professional endorsements.
Given this background, I was somewhat surprised last fall when at a press gathering I was introduced to and hit their new forged iron, a true player’s cavity back blade. I was impressed. That’s why when the chance came to do a full review of these clubs I jumped at it. Here’s what I found out…
The Concept
Chip Brewer, the president of Adams Golf, is committed to creating sets that integrate hybrids with irons, as he believes hybrids have real advantages over long irons in playability and versatility. I agree.
While the concept first showed up in game-improvement sets aimed at seniors and slower swingers, with the Idea Pro Forged Irons Adams is clearly trying to bring the better player into the fold. Given that even touring professionals are finally coming around to hybrids, that makes a lot of sense.
Many good players embrace the advantages of hybrids as long iron replacements. At the same time, they still would like the workability and feel of forged blades in their mid- and short-irons. And that’s just what this set of irons is all about.
In its standard configuration, the set combines 3- and 4-Idea Pro hybrids with Idea Pro forged irons 5-PW. The Sand Trap‘s Jeff Smith wrote an extensive review of the hybrids, so I won’t attempt to duplicate his efforts here, despite some occasional references. But I will say these extremely popular hybrids are a perfect match for these irons.
Design and Construction
To be honest, I found it quite interesting that a company so known for game improvement clubs has done such a good job coming up with their first player’s forged iron. Michael Guerrette, Adams senior design engineer, and his team have done an exceptional job producing what looks like a pure players club, but which retains touches of welcome forgiveness.
The heads are forged of very soft 8620 carbon steel and then plated with a satin finish. The top line is thin, the leading edge straight, and the progressive offset through the set minimal… just what most better players are looking for.
There’s nothing fancy or bold about the look of the Adams Idea Pro forged irons. They’re all business.
The irons have a fairly shallow cavity back design but, at the same time, a comparatively low center of gravity and high moment of inertia compared to many forged blades. You can see hints of this inherent design feature in the soles of the irons that gradually broaden as you move from the mid irons to the short irons.
To my eye, they are slightly scaled up in size from the forged irons I grew up with in the 60s and 70s. But, understand, the forgiveness is relative. These are not your father’s Callaway shovels.
All this speaks to the origins of the design. Adams Golf staffers Tom Watson, Bubba Dickerson, and others had been playing custom forged Adams irons. Using those clubs as a starting point, Adams designers and engineers tweaked weight placement and shape slightly to increase playability for a broader spectrum of serious golfers. As I’ll discuss later, they succeeded.
The stock steel shaft is a relatively new model from True Temper. The Black Gold shaft comes with a unique “gold nickel” plating process that gives it just the slightest gold tinge. Nothing weird, just subtle like the rest of the club’s design. I actually spotted one on TV recently in the hands of Steve Stricker. It’s definitely a premium shaft just as is the Aldila VS Proto shaft in the hybrids.
The Black Gold is a stepless design patterned in specification and performance on the Project X shaft. It’s not a lightweight shaft by any means. In my experience the performance and feel was remarkably consistent throughout the set.
Of note is that the shafts are .355″ taper-tipped models. As I noted in a recent Bag Drop, I believe taper-tipped shafts are superior to parallel tipped, or unitized, shafts both in feel and performance. Once again Adams proves they were serious about producing a club for serious players.
The Golf Pride Tour Velvet grip seems to have become the most popular among better players and that’s the stock grip found on the Idea Pro irons. As evidence of Adams’ attention to detail, their logo on the grips is positioned on the bottom, just like you see on TV with tour players. Understated coolness.
Esthetics
These are simply beautiful clubs. The satin finish is completely non-glare. All the edges are gracefully curved. I really like how the face is devoid of extraneous stamping or paint fill and displays just a hint of frosting over the grooves. In the playing position you’re presented with a simple, clean look that makes lining up your shot with the straight leading edge and grooves simple.
As far as I’m concerned, Adams has created a very classic-looking forged club. To me, this is what an iron should look like.
I’m also partial to the shape of the irons. They’re basically squared-toed but with enough radius to the corners to be exceptionally pleasing, at least to my eye. According to what I’ve learned, the most difficult iron to design is the 8-iron as it is the transition club from the shape of the mid irons to that of the short irons and wedges. The Idea Pro 8-iron is one of the best I’ve ever seen in that it makes the visual transition from 7-iron to 9-iron seamlessly. It’s a great, great design.
I also like other, more minor things about the looks. I like that the Adams and Idea Pro logos are small and understated. So too is the design of the forged cavity which has been finished with a soft-to-the-touch silver paint. The knurling on the hosel is simple and old school. Even the engraved iron numbers, positioned toward the toe where they are subject to less dirt and wear, are unfussy and minimalist.
Playability
Beauty is as beauty does. So are these beautiful irons as good as they look? Yes. If you can do it with your swing, so can these clubs. Knockdowns, fades, draws, cuts, are all within their repertoire… if those shots are within yours.
This shot of the soles reveals how artfully all the edges are rounded. It also shows how the soles broaden as the irons get more lofted.
The feel on a center hit can only be described as solid, rewarding, and a visceral trip. While perhaps not as butter-soft as Mizuno MP14s I once played, it is still clearly the feel of a forged clubhead. There is not a sweeter feeling left in golf today.
And that brings up a personal opinion of mine about forged players clubs. Playing them with a modicum of skill and a reasonably repeatable swing, I believe you learn to hit the sweet spot consistently in time. And, in that respect, perhaps they are game improvement clubs after all.
Years ago when irons were still pretty crude, people noticed that the best players, like Ben Hogan, wore out a small spot on the face skewed toward the heel. They thought this was some sort of secret impact location so they tried to emulate that strike point. Turns out, the irons weren’t well designed. The spot toward the heel lay in line with a misplaced center of gravity. The pros were just good enough to find the sweet spot on their own.
I tested the 4-PW in a stiff shaft that was delivered in my specs (½” long, 2° upright). Accompanying them in my bag were three of the Idea Pro hybrids in 18°, 20°, and 23° versions, two of which I’ve been playing with since last fall.
The thin topline and the minimal offset show up here. Both contribute to the look and playability of a true player’s club.
Essentially, then, I had a chance to compare the 4-iron to the 4-hybrid. Both have their merits, but for me and my swing, the 4-hybrid won out. I could hit it higher, a touch further, and it quickly became my trouble club out of rough. But then again, I’m probably on the lower end of clubhead speed for these clubs.
Just so you can relate to what I’m about to write, I came to these clubs fresh off an extended period with Srixon 506 forged irons that I gave up on and before returning to some trusty Callaway X-16 pro series irons that had been reshafted with moderately light Nippon shafts.
I could never adjust to the (to me) odd look of the Srixon’s and their playing propensity to be “digger” clubs. Add to that I’ve been somewhat hampered by a bad back this season and seriously auditioning new irons was a challenge.
I had my trepidations. The shafts were a good deal heavier than I had been accustomed to playing the last few seasons. The narrow topline and sole of these clubs harkened back to days when I was a lot stronger player.
Still, I gave them a go. Gosh, I’m glad I did. Once I got a little healthier, I picked up a full club in distance with my irons. I don’t know why. I should know, but I don’t. They just worked. Golf clubs are like that sometimes. In the process I regained a lot of touch and the ability to once again work the ball a little. Marvelous.
Here’s my bottom line judgment: they are more forgiving than most forged clubs I’ve hit recently, while at the same time not giving up any workability. Against my Callaway X-16 Pro irons, I’d say I gave up less than a ¼” margin of error on either side of the sweet spot.
I don’t know the precise camber or bounce of the sole on these irons, but I do know that I now produce shallow and consistently even divots on my iron shots. That’s a very good sign.
Still, be warned. Don’t be going hitting these devils thin. They are not shovels that will bail you out from a real mis-hit. But I believe these are the kind of clubs that teach you through feel to avoid that kind of blunder.
Specifications
When you look at the specifications for these clubs, you can see how Adams has skewed them slightly toward their overall bias toward game improvement clubs. Check out the lofts. They’re a touch stronger than you’ll find on some players clubs. For instance, the pitching wedge at 46° is a couple of degrees stronger than a few player’s clubs.
Still, the lofts aren’t out of range. The short irons are the same lofts as the Callaway X-20 Tour irons and only 1° stronger than Mizuno MP-60s.
Club Loft Length Lie Swing Weight ---- ---- ------ --- ------------ 3-hybrid 20° 39.75" 59.5° D2 4-hybrid 23° 39" 60° D2 5-iron 26° 38.25" 60.5° D2 6-iron 30° 37.5" 61° D2 7-iron 34° 37" 61.5° D2 8-iron 38° 36.5" 62° D2 9-iron 42° 36" 62.5° D2 PW 46° 35.5" 63° D2
Options
Good players are generally very picky about their equipment. And, with this line of irons, Adams Golf tries hard to please with a lot of different set makeup possibilities.
Don’t want the 4-hybrid or 4-iron? Then you might choose to add the optional TriTech 4-iron. With its forged stainless steel face, 30-gram tungsten sole weight, and a thermal plastic urethane vibration dampener, it’s extremely forgiving without losing the look of an iron.
The Idea Pro hybrids are available in five models with lofts ranging from 16° (1-iron) to 26° (5-iron). There’s also a 50.5° gap wedge with 8° of bounce, a 55° sand wedge with 10° bounce, and a 60° lob wedge with 8° bounce.
The irons are also available in graphite. The stock graphite shaft is a Graphite Design GAT 95 model. Still, special orders through the Adams Custom Department can get you just about any major brand: True Temper, Rifle, Nippon, etc.
Price and Availability
The irons and hybrids are available in right and left handed versions, although the 5-hybrid is right hand only.
The suggested retail price for the 8-piece set is $1,099 for graphite and $899 for steel. The suggested retail price for the individual TriTech 4-iron and optional wedges is $149 for graphite and $119 for steel. Our friends over at Edwin Watts have the 8-piece set available in steel for $799.99.
Conclusions and Recommendations
Here’s what I think: if you’re a 0-8 handicapper, you know what you like and can pick out clubs for yourself. But when you choose, I think the Idea Pro irons and hybrids should be among the options you consider. Definitely, definitely check these out.
If you’re an 8-12 handicapper and interested in delving into forged irons, these clubs may be the perfect place to start looking. I think most amateurs in this handicap range have the capability to hit the 6-iron on down without heavy game improvement features. You might want to think about a custom set with a 26° Idea Pro hybrid to replace your 5-iron.
Dana Quigley of the Champions Tour has done something similar and he’s made quite a few bucks going that route. Breaking 80 regularly may be possible for you with such a strategy. Give it some thought.
As you can guess by now, I’m a big fan of these irons.
I am playing the 506’s now. How do they compare?
Brian,
OK, here’s my perceptions. Totally subjective, Your mileage may vary, etc., etc. The Srixon’s are a great iron. But, for me, they didn’t carry enough bounce for the tight-ish fairways I play. Hence I found myself digging deeper divots than I would have preferred.
So much of a club’s feel is in the shaft it’s difficult to quantify the difference. My 506’s had Nippon 950’s in them and that is, perhaps, my preferred shaft The Idea Pro forged irons had, as mentioned above, the TT Black Gold shafts… much heavier. Still, the Adams irons felt softer to me, even with the stiffer, heavier shaft.
As far as the shape of the irons go, the Srixon’s, like many Japanese irons, including Mizuno, have this idea that the short irons and wedges need this squared off notch on the topline near the hosel. I wish I could describe it better, but that’s what it looks like to me. The Adams, again to me, look a whole lot better in the playing position.
Any review is just one guy’s opinion. If you’re interested, it would be best if you could track down a set of Adams and have a look, and more importantly a hitting demo, of them before you form your own opinion.
I am currently playing Hogan ’02 Apex Pro Forged Irons and am carrying about a 14 handicap.
I have been looking for a set to assist me to the next level. My biggest gap issue is the 180-220 range and I have been looking to merge some hybrids into my game. I feel I can work my current set down with me to say a 10 handicap, but I am not sure beyond that.
I would really like to go to a blade style short iron set coupled with some long irons. I am trying to compare the offerings of these versus the Ping s58 and Nickent Genex Arc Blades….how do they compare in your opinion?
Currently at 7 handicap.
Age 53.
I bought in to the Adams idea pro sort of by accident in that I had previously bought the Idea Pro 4 hybrid to use with my i5 Pings. I also used a Mizuno 20 degree for my 3 iron. I loved the Adams hybrid so much I wanted to buy their 3 version but found it was cheaper to buy the whole set.(in a way because I received a $200 credit from Golf Galaxy for having purchased the 4 hybrid previously.) I was looking for a better feeling club anyway and after I hit the Adams irons, I knew they were perfect. They are much softer feel than the i5 and are probably a little softer then the Mizuno MP 60. I love the look of each club as well as the hybrids, which has replaced the Mizuno, but I have a little trouble with the look of the five iron at address. It doesnt quite fit in with the rest of the clubs, and I am not quite sure why. It seem rounder at the top and doesnt instill as much confidence. It hits good when I am on but just isnt as consistent for me. Might take a cue from Dana Quigley and look at a 5 hybrid. Overall for the money and the quality hybrids you get with the set you really cant go wrong.
These clubs–idea pro irons and hybrids-are a genuinely superior product for height, distance, feel, looks, and overall playability. Having played ping, callaway, and having looked at and test hit several other iron sets, I am convinced that adams idea pro irons are as good a product as can be imagined. Well worth a look in my opinion. In fact, if you don’t look at them I think you are doing yourself a disservice.
Hello,
I’ve been playing with Adams tight lies for women for a year and happy with them. I would like to upgrade them and want your advise on what next Adams (in petite) to buy. I tried Nike, Callaways, King Cobra but convinced to stick to Adams.
Thank you.
Sandy from Portland, Oregon
Sandy,
I suggest you look at the new Adams Idea a3 irons for women. Like the Idea Pro irons we reviewed here, it’s a mixed set if hybrids and irons. They look very good to me and are definitely a step up from the Tight Lies. Here’s a link:
Adams Womens Idea a3 irons
Hello again and thank you. I would certainly look at the Adams idea a3irons for women. What woods and driver shall I get in Adams? I only average 150-160 yds with my Adams tight lies and would want to add more distance.
Sandy
My dad taught me golf on some banged up TopFlite irons that communicated the errors of my ways only slightly more sternly than a nun challenged by an impudent child with: “Is there really a Trinity?” Key word: pain.
I’ve always been a purist, until about 5 years ago I caved and bought some Ping cast irons as i no longer had the swing, patience, or discipline to hit a proper club, well, properly. Kind of felt like a sell out.
Dutiful and predictable, my Ping Eye 2’s got me around the course routinely with an uneventful 81 or 82. But like kissing your sister, there was no joy in the act.
Thanks to this review, I purchased a set of Adams Idea Forged irons. Key word: schwing!
These are so velvety smooth, crisp and pure. The swing weight is pleasantly heavy. (I find that with underweighted clubs, i feel the need to swing harder, thus inducing problems.) These are very balanced, but head-weighted. The look at address is understated cool…brushed, not polished. the lines are mostly old school, with some very subtle tweaks.
For example, when you look at the bounce on the irons, there is enough to prevent gouging the earth. there’s still a definitive ‘blade’ on the leading each, but the sole’s bounce gives you enough resistence to prevent you from going too deep. As a result, you are encouraged to take a slightly steeper, pinching attack angle (as opposed to sweeping which i sometimes did to prevent hitting fat on older forged irons/blades).
I sense that the clubs are giving me grace for my unfortunate increasing: age, bulge, view of my own abilities…fielder’s choice. When I’m off center, there is a penalty, but it’s more of a gentle finger wag instead of the industrial ruler across the knuckles that my MacGregors gave me. (Call me co-dependent, but I loved those clubs.) The ball doesn’t fly as true or long, but it makes an approximation of what i intended it to be.
But when I’m ‘on’…papa like. The feel is pure and smooth and the sound is so pleasing. You can feel and hear the crispness of a well placed contact point.
The consistency of the divot is also a metric i would not have previously considered until reading the review above…but it’s dead on. consistent depth, length and pattern. A great ‘after the fact’ feedback on how you contacted earth AFTer contacting ball.
I agree that you don’t want to “go hitting these devils thin”. However, I 1000% agree that these are truly ‘game improvement’ irons because they enable you to assess your game and make improvements in such tangible ways. There is no benign, autonomic play here. The club is an extension of you…thought (confidence) and action (swing).
They are better than me…but that only makes me want to honor them by making me better with them.
Swing well.
I bought the entire set, through the L Wedge and through 5 rounds (all club tournaments), I have no buyer’s remorse. In fact, I’m just killing time here seeing what others have to say, because, when I can’t play with them (weekends only, lately), I like to look at them and think about them. Now I’m talking about them. I just love ’em.
I replaced my Henry Griffiths forged blades and am not looking back.
I just bought a perfect used set of Idea pros with a difference I’ve not seen anywhere else–
instead of the hybrids, I got the actual three and four iron from this set.
The pro told me they are order only. I’ve never seen them before or since, and cannot find them even MENTIONED on the web.
The three and four iron are identical to the rest of the Idea Pros except for one thing– the plastic insert in the back of the head, painted silver to match the rest of the clubheads in the five iron through wedge, are left black on the three and four iron.
Other than that, they are identical in design, and superb in look and feel. I have no problem hitting the three iron off the deck, and every club is sweet and smooth…
I’m switching from Ping Zings, so the difference couldn’t be more radical.
Love these things.
The 3 and 4 irons you got were not left unpainted…. they are the tri-tech irons. They have a tungsten weight and vibration dampening added. I just ordered the set from my local store, replaced the 4 hybrid with 4 tri-tech iron, and added a 2 hybrid. These are the best looking and feeling clubs currently on the market IMHO. I am a 10 handicap working on single digits, and they will allow me to grow with them. The BG shafts are amazing, such fantastic feel. The hybrids are also silky smooth, although seem to have a slightly higher ball-flight than my old nike CPR’s. Can’t wait till summer, and thank God I’m going to N.C. soon.
Mike,
Hate to disagree, since I haven’t seen a tri-tech iron in person, but I’ve seen pictures of them, and the irons I have are NOT them. THere are no tungsten weights and the heads are identical to the rest of the Idea Pro set except for the fact that the plastic dampeners (yes, the rest of the irons have them, and they’re painted over) are black instead.
Here is a pic of the long irons from the Idea Pro set that I have– snapped the pic myself–
http://www.daveperk.com/IdeaPro3and4.jpg
you can see they say “Idea Pro” on them, and they look exactly like the rest of the irons. The TriTech is a more wide-soled thing with high tech inserts and that sort of stuff…
these are the basic Idea Pro irons…. if someone had tried to sell me Tri Tech, I’d have taken the hybrids instead… 🙂
Dave,
Check the Adams website… http://www.adamsgolf.com/ir_spec.htm#ideapro
If you click on the link to the tri-tech under specs you will see a picture of it, the vibration dampener being black. The tri-tech does NOT have a wider sole, and the tungsten weight is not visible. It looks EXACTLY like the normal iron, except for the black. I just ordered one and hit both the tri-tech and the regular 4-iron, and both had the same appearance.
-Mike
Looks like my 4-iron all right. 🙂
I was thrown by the ‘tritech’ short irons, which definitely look different from the Idea Pro. They’re wide soled and weight-inserted and game-improvement looking things.
But that pic is definitely a pic of my four iron, and by extension my three iron..
But you’re saying there is an Idea Pro four iron and a Tri Tech four iron and they ‘both have the same appearance’… so how in the world can I know if mine is one or the other?
Unless what you really mean is that the normal four iron has the painted silver shock absorber and the Tri Tech has the black, and that is the only difference.
Confused in Texas. 🙂
AHAH.
I just saw on the Adams website pic that there is a “forged tri tech’ engraving on the hosel of the tri tech iron.
I looked at my three iron and it says ‘forged’ but NOT ‘ tri tech’.
So I submit to you that my three and four iron, lacking the ‘tri tech’ imprint on the hosel, are in fact the standard Idea Pro three and four iron, even though the dampener is black in these two clubs and silvered in the rest.
🙂
ONe more thing.. the website says the tritech is available as a four iron, but the ‘standard Idea Pro” irons are available in THREE and FOUR iron.
I have the three AND the four, and neither say ‘tri tech’ on the hosel.
And both have the black dampener.
I rest my case, milud. 🙂
Dave,
you must be right… if yours just says forged on the hosel and not tri-tech forged then you must have the normal ones. I wonder why they leave that piece black on these clubs… hmmmm, crazy. And I can’t remember for the life of me whether or not the normal 4 I hit in the store was black… I guess it probably was. Anyway, can’t wait to get my clubs next week… and my 4-iron better be just like the one I hit in the store when I get it. It was a tri-tech, but looked just like the others except for the black, and allegedly having a tungsten weight built in. If I get some wide soled junk, Adams will just have to send me the regular one… whatever color it is. Anyway… can’t wait to play these clubs… too bad I’m in Ohio and golf season is on hold.
I also wonder why the 4 is the only one available in tri-tech… I actually ordered the set as 2 and 3 hybrid and 5-PW, then ordered the 4 seperate since it was cheaper to do it this way.
interesting indeed,
Mike
Mike,
I wouldn’t worry about the 4 iron not being right. That pic on their website cleared up my confusion, because it shows the name Tri Tech actually ON the clubhead that is identical to the idea pro.. 🙂
Before, when I googled Tri Tech, it always showed me a different iron, more game improv type, and always short irons.. but now I know for sure that the tritech long iron looks exactly like the idea pro!
And I also know now that they don’t make a tritech 3 iron, so my 3 and 4 definitely are the standard idea pro irons, even with the black dampener.
Finally I got a grip on this… I would never have known that pic was there without you so thanks much!
btw the 3 and 4 hit like a dream, and the slower I swing that BG shaft the better the shot… they do NOT reward rushing but they definitely do reward good timing and technique. I struggle with myself about playing that 3 iron, and will probably have to take it onto the course a time or two to convince myself it’s not as good for my game as my Orlimar hybrid. And it just might go the other way, that’s how good that 3 iron is.
Mike and Dave:
Just to clear up one small misconception. There is no plastic “dampening” insert on the Idea Pro forged irons. Instead the paint (silver or black, apparently) in the cavity is formulated to give a soft feel… so it probably feels like plastic. But it’s just paint. Why Dave’s cavity is painted black is a mystery to me. His 4 iron looks just like mine, but mine is painted silver like the rest of the set.
These are, in the end, tremendous irons. The Black Gold Dynamic shafts demand a sound swing, perhaps even more so that traditional Dynamic Gold shafts.
Jack,
You’ve almost got me curious enough to scrape away at this thing and find out if it’s plastic or steel. 🙂
But no, I”m not gonna do it. They’re too sweet to mess with.
But I still think they have a plastic dampener that is painted silver.
The edges of the black part on the 3 and 4 are different than the edges of the silver rubbery paint part on the 5-W. The black part looks very much like a separate piece, whereas the painted bits look like Adams tries to make it APPEAR that it’s all metal, all one piece. OH, and the the heads on the 3 and 4 have a bit of a gap in the bottom of their cavity, a sort of cut space kind of like the Mizuno 25s (I think) but it’s hard even to notice it’s there… clearly they’re different, to get the ball up faster, but their shape and profile at address are exactly the same, and when you glance at them you can’t tell that cutaway area is even there.
I’d say that these long irons are order only, and probably not finished on the same assembly line or something. They might make a million 5-W heads but probably only a few thousand 4 and 3 heads for this set. That might explain the lack of paint on this black part.
Could be wrong but that’s what it looks like to these eyes..
Not that I care. 🙂 they could be bits of burned pizza crust on the heads and I”d still be playing these irons…
OK, Dave, I’ll give you this: that your cavity is painted black maybe there’s another version afoot I’m not aware of. But still, when I talked with Jeff Wood, the marketing guy at Adams, he assured me it was just paint and not an insert. But no matter. Beauty is as beauty does. And I hope these irons remain magic for you.
Jack,
I just picked up my three iron and did a simple test.
GOt the tip of my pocketknife behind the black part and was able to lift it a millimeter at one end. It’s attached, but not firmly. And it’s soft black plastic.
On the 5 iron, the silver paint prevents me from finding the edge of it.
Or else on the 5 iron it’s actually all metal and painted with soft silver paint.
But there is no doubt that on the three iron, and by deduction on the four iron in my trunk outside, the black part is a piece of plastic added on.
Jeff was probably talking about 5-W, which are probably all metal. THe fact that these long irons also have a hidden cutaway area in the base of the cavity tells me they’re probably altogether differently made than the others, but they look the same and play the same as far as I’m concerned.
next time I’m at the store I’ll probably be arrested for cutting the backs of golf clubs up… because I sure want to know what is going on with these… but, I’m sure not cutting into mine.
Me neither. 🙂
But for sure, the 3 and 4 I have are not tritech, and for sure they have hidden cavity slots down low on back where the 5-W do not, and for sure they have black plastic inserts where 5-W have silver paint over something that looks exactly like the black plastic inserts in the long irons.
Which leads me to believe they all have the plastic inserts, but the 5-W are painted to look like they are one piece heads.
I could be wrong.
Just played today, man are these things sweet and pure. I even pulled off a big hook with the five iron to get it around a tree and onto the green.
Could never do that with my old pings.
FWIW, my 3 and 4 irons were special order, non-Tritech, and do not have black cavities.
Just to clarify, my 3 and 4 came with the set, but I bought it from a shop pro, who clearly got it through connections rather than off the retail shelf.
And ‘black cavities’ isn’t entirely accurate. There’s a black plastic insert, same size and shape as the ‘lump’ in the cavity of the silver-backed 5-W.. logic tells me the plastic insert is painted with that rubbery silver paint on the other irons but on the 3 and 4 they’re not painted.
And the 3 and 4 have a sort of slot, channel, what have you, along the bottom of the back cavity.. the other irons don’t have the cutaway.
But I know they’re not tritech, cuz those say ‘tritech’ on the hosel and mine don’t. 🙂
So you have a 3 and 4 that are the same silver rubberized paint in the cavity as the rest of the irons?
The first time I pulled these out of the bag I dropped 6 strokes. Just a great iron. The weighting and flex on these clubs felt absolutely perfect to me, and made swinging them very comfortable, like I had been using them for years. One thing though; you never want to hit them thin. it hurts and the ball does not really go anywhere. Avoid it at ALL costs.
Nice set. Surprisingly soft but long.
I got the set with 3 and 4 Irons (not tritech, no black painted dampener).
Just an observation on using the long ones; choke on them a little, half an inch or a lot; 1 inch, if you are still getting used to the heaviness. It allows for a slightly shorter punch/swing without having to caliberate your backswing, i.e., they load up a lot easier and the swing will feel like swinging a 6-Iron.
I guarantee a pleasant surprise.
Well, after months of playing these, I’m more thrilled than ever. I’ve tried several other irons recently, just by coincidence, and the more I swing other clubs, the more I realize just what these Adams do for my game.
the word is STRAIGHT. Not that I can’t work it, but the natural tendency of these irons is just to go where they’re aimed, no muss, no fuss. A smooth and gentle motion gives you endless hang time without ballooning, and consistent distance too.
they’ve made me a MUCH better iron player. Now I expect ten greens per round, instead of being THRILLED by ten. Now I figure 16 greens is a possibility. I’ve done that once or twice, but with these clubs I expect I’ll do it a lot more often.
I have never had a more consistent distance iron game. When I choose a club and aim for the flag, I’m seldom more than ten feet long or short.
Gonna be hard to top these irons.
V-man, your long irons aren’t black in back? Are they rubberized silver?
last year I tried out a set of the Idea Pro irons at Golf Town and loved them… even though they only had Stiff flex in stock… finally this winter I was able to pick up a reasonably priced set of regular steel shaft irons as well as all the Hybrids, 1 thru 5… and when the snow finally disappeared I took them to the course…
and I love them!
they are soft in the hands… ball goes far… ball goes straight… or left or right when I want it… matter of fact although I play to a 7/8 most of the year, I started the season with the beset rounds I have ever started a season!…
I love them!
only problem I have so far is that I hit them so far!… my early scoring could have been better but I swear I have gained between half and a full club and early on was overshooting greens!
I absolutely love them!
for the first time in a long time… my bag may have the same clubs in it at the end of the season as it had at the beginning!
oh yeah, did I say that I love them!
Gents,
All your reviews defenitely led me to look at Idea Pro at golfshop… and now I can not but say thank you all.
Frankly, I was a bit concerned as I had no experience with Adams brand in golf products, which made me hesitate with Titlelist irons.
But they (3 & 4 hybrid, 5-P) all work really well more than I expected and price was also atractive ….
Now I am a big fan too…and it wouldn’t be easy to go for other brands for the time being.
Dave,
3 and 4 irons are not black in the back. I don’t think they are rubberized silver either (I tried to indent with my nail, but couldn’t). All I can say that they feel (to the touch) and look exact same as rest of their shorter siblings.
Dan, you hit the ball toooo far!! Oh poor you, what a problem to have! (ha ha). No seriously, I’ve noticed too. It was fun re-calibrating for an average of 10 extra yards.
Does anybody on the blog think that these irons are longer because they are heavier than most sets? Physics major anybody? I guess heavier clubs force you to ‘swing through’ more than ‘hit at’.
I am wondering that would be the case if I swithced to a heavier shaft on my driver (I have a 60 g. Aldilla NV driver) and pick up 10 extra yards! Can a heavier club with little slower swing speed actually produce more distance?
I just tried to buy the 4iron for the Idea Pro Forged set from Adams and learned that it’s no longer available…in either the tri-tech or standard iron. (I was looking at replacing the hybrid as I tend to hit my long irons more consistently with traditional irons.)
The reason that they are no longer available is that Adams is coming out in June with the Idea Pro Forged GOLD iron set..similar in design and composition to the current Pro Forged set. Heads are slightly different looking, and there seems to be some difference in shafts, though I can’t get too many details just yet.
Maybe y’all can help me with something. I’ve been playing the Idea Pro Forged set for about 18 months. I love everything about them except for distance. I am a full club shorter with them, maybe 1 1/2 clubs compared to my previous set. I used to play Cleveland TA3 with DGS300 shafts. I’ve been told the black gold shaft in stiff is the same stiffness as the Project X 6.5. A 6.5 is pretty darn stiff. I drive the ball pretty far with a Callaway 454 and Aldila NV60 stiff shaft (probably carry it 260). The Idea hybrids I also hit pretty darn well. The biggest complaint I have is that I hit the 4 hybrid right at 200 yards on the fly but I can’t hit the 5 iron more than 175 yards. In my previous set 5 iron was a good 185-190 yard club for me. I suppose I could just forget the number on the club and be ok but I’m having a really tough time wrapping my head around how far I hit these irons. My inclination on a level shot, no wind, is to pull an 8 iron from 155 yards, not a 7 iron, but I can’t get this 8 iron to fly more than 145 yards. Has anyone else suffered a distance loss with the irons in the Idea Pro Forged set? I wonder if I should just get a softer shaft? The problem is, in demo-ing various irons, when I hit something with an “R” flex the ball could curve left or right at the end and I don’t have any control over it. At least with this set I can cut it or draw it consistently even if they are shorter for me.
Wes:
Your experience sounds exactly like mine. I hit my Henry Griffith blades about 5-10 yards longer, but they were also about 1/2″ longer, stiff True Temper shafts.
However, since I got fitted with the Titlest launch monitor and hit most of the competing 6 irons along with the Adams, and as the Adams flew as high and long but a bit more consistently for me, I assume that the difference in distance for me was probably in the shaft length.
It is a bit disappointing to have to adjust, but I really like most everything else about these clubs, especially the fact that I seem to be able to score a bit better with them. My only other complaint is the difference between the 5 iron and the hybrids–15-20 yards between the 5 iron and the 4 hybrid and the fact that the hybrids demand quite a swing adjustment from the rest of the set.
I also have all of the wedges, P, G, S, and L, and love the transition, feel and look of these irons.
Thanks Larry. Just for those interested, here are the lofts of the clubs in both the TA3 and Idea Pro…the Adams are 2 degrees stronger across the board:
TA3 Idea Pro
3 Iron/I wood 22 20
4 Iron/I wood 25 23
5 iron 28 26
6 iron 32 30
7 iron 36 34
8 iron 40 38
9 iron 44 42
PW 48 46
One thing I’m thinking about doing is tweaking the lofts a little bit and just forgetting what number is stamped on the club. The problem is, though, that there is probably a 25 yard gap between my 4 I wood (200 yards) and my 5 Iron (175 yards) but only 3 degrees difference in loft. I suppose I could bump the 5 iron down to 24 degrees and readjust the others either stronger or weaker to get something on the order of a 12 yard gap. I carry 53 and 58 Mizuno wedges so adding some loft to my PW probably wouldn’t be a bad thing.
Wes,
Something you should consider; if you think Project X 6.5 is stiff, TT Black Gold Stiff plays a stiffer frequency than PX 6.5 and heavier, more like a 7.0 (your shop pro will probably disagree so you could chalk it up to my personal experience). I played the Callaway Forged (very similar clubs with stock PX 6.5s) for 6 months and noticed these distinct differences. It takes a few rounds for this to become apparent. The DGS300 is definitely more like the 6.5.
If you got same shaft length frequencies measured side by side you would notice it.
People on this blog who have gotten longer with these clubs?? I think they are getting more in the ‘pro spin/trajectory’ window with this equipment.
Anyway, tweaking the loft should help but it will take a little extra (energy that is; not necessarily swing speed) to get enough shaft flex and forward kick to get the same distance as your TA3s. Ofcourse, the forward kick is the very thing that causes that curve (unstability) at the end of your ball flight in the first place, so stay away from the R flex but you should not rule out DGS300 or PX 6.5 or even lighter shaft (DG SL) S flex.
The bounce is fairly wide so don’t fear digging too much if you hit down a little extra.
Good luck hunting.
I didn’t know they were all that stiff. I was considering putting new shafts in an old set of Wilson Staff blades I have, and I wouldn’t have used more than a 6.0 in PX, and maybe even a 5.5. I’d never buy a 7.0 PX. Too stiff for me. And yet…
I have not lost distance with the Adams. Didn’t gain any, over an old Ping set with stiff shafts, but haven’t lost any. I wonder if this is because the Adams are longer in the shaft, making up for less flex?
But for hitting the ball straight, there is no comparison. The Adams irons are incredibly easy to hit straight, and workable if you want. I”m just not that consistent with deliberately worked shots, and I prefer to hit straight at the target whenever possible. All I have to do with these Adams irons is step up and swing smooth, and the ball flies very straight. I’ve hit 3-4 more GIR with them than I ever did with any other irons, just because they go where I aim them.
I would have settled for a bit shorter iron distances, but didn’t have to. My Ping 5 iron was good for 185, and so is my Adams.
I don’t play Adams hybrids, but I have the 4 iron and then I go straight to a 19* Cleveland hybrid. Seems excessive, but I can choke down an inch with that hybrid and shorten it ten yards. the hybrid is my 3 and my 2 iron.
With the 4 iron I also have the 3 iron (neither says tritech on the hosel, but they do have the black insert in back… wonder what they were thinking?) but I don’t bag it at present. I’d rather have more wedges.
Dave,
I believe you are right in assuming that the extra length of the shaft makes up for the little extra stiffness. Not loosing distance on stiffer and heavier shaft is a sign of a fairly true swinger. You are probably pretty good at staying down through impact too. I hope you are rubbing off on me through this blog. Gimme some-a-dat anyday!
But you most probably also know that punishment for bad shots is steeper (bet you have never been punished for hitting it thin have you?!!… 😆 )
Anyway, here’s a little fun shaft flex trivia;
Freddie Couples once borrowed his friend’s wife’s ladies flex driver for a casual round and loved it so much that he actually kept it and played it for years (don’t know if he actually played it on tour)…..go figure!
v-man,
I do try to groove it. 😉
And I believe I have hit the ball on every conceivable part of the clubface, and some parts that are not part of the clubface at all..
That said, I didn’t know freddie had a feminine side.
Ha..ha…well, I don’t think Freddie was carrying out some surrogate cross dressing fantasy as much as the fact that it was the only long stick available apparently (from what I remember reading about it, he did’nt have his clubs on him…)…
Funny though. Keep grooving.
vman
what did you mean by
“I think they are getting more in the ‘pro spin/trajectory’ window with this equipment.” ??
dan
Dan,
Forgive me for sounding like a physices professor in advance, but I think this is a very little understood concept of a golf ball flight.
Pro spin/trajectory:
We have heard all about getting fitted for the right launch angle and spin combination on a launch monitor, but few realize that this combination of parameters are most in effect in the second portion of the ball flight.
What does the ‘second portion of the flight’ mean?
Well….
In the first portion of flight: Every ball takes off the club face with the kinetic energy imparted to it. The sheer force of the impact will project it to some distance of the carry (anywhere from 50-85 % of the total eventual carry), after this the ball runs out of force momentum but it still keeps flying (this is the second portion of the ball flight) further because of sheer aerodynamics (its like the ball still keeps flying on ’empty’). Like I said this is when the right amount of spin on a compatible trajectory makes the most difference on how much further the ball will travel. (Ever get the feeling that sometimes you hit the ball with an 8 iron, it travels a reasonable distance, about 130 yards in air, seems to slow down in the air and should drop at 145 but simply refuses to come down and floats another 15-20 yards..??)
Professionals (or good amateurs for that matter..) , with their swings get the most out of this second portion of the flight (better the spin/trajectory more the extra float and eventual distance) even though they don’t impart that much initial energy. This is why a swing almost always trumps a hit.
This region of optimum spin+trajectory is a very small window and good players either understand this or sometimes just hit the lucky number by trial and error and stick with it.
Anyway, I was referring to this phenomenon and the right shaft flex depending on your swing will help you optimize the spin+trajectory the best. Don’t know the exact physics, but sometimes a stiffer flex shaft can be better. You just have to try it for yourself. I don’t believe today’s launch monitors are advanced enough to catch all the nuances of your ball flight even though they are a good start to finding the right flex.
Chao..gotta go pickup my daughter..
im 14 years old and a 12 handicap, these irons are so smooth. i love them! they give you all the feedback you need and when you hit them in the sweet spot. it feels like you didnt even hit a ball. i went from the old a1 hybrid set to these and it only took me 4 rounds to start hitting them pure.
Just to review if your club has the black insert and a deeper inset cavity it is the tritech 4. They do not all say TriTEch forged. The main determination is if you have a more of an inset cavity.
well…I work part time at Nevada Bobs and get to try a lot of clubs..I used old Hogan apex blades for years but found trouble when I lost club head speed due to age..Tried various clubs and had settled on Ping I3+ blades which I was really liking. Then I tried some demo idea pro stiff black gold irons in the hitting net at the store and loved the feel, and was hitting them pure. I took them out to the course and was totally amazed..straighter and 1/2 club longer than my pings. What really impressed me was the distance control !! I really know my distances now(30 yrs later) and with my new bushnell range finder am having a lot of birdie chances, which takes the pressure off my putting. I’m 61 yrs old, not a pup and yet the stiff shafts really feel right for me, hitting a soft draw…no push or fade..but can work the ball well..I also bought the gap, sand and lob wedge…as good as cleveland and titelist . i’m playing with a lot of confidence and maintaing my handicap (11) even though my driver gives me fits 🙂 In closing..a very forgiving and playable forged iron..and beautiful !!
Guys an old thread i know, but read this and had to comment. I bought the new version 2009 Pro Gold Forged with the ProjectX Stiff 6.0 shaft. They are not long, but are the strsightest clubs i have ever used. I am hitting wedge 120, 7 150, 5 170. (yds) the problem i have found is the gap from 170 to 190. I am a 6.5 golfer.
Where can I find Black paint to touch up woods and clubs i have scuffed up? I would appreciate the list fo any sources if you can not supply.
Thank You
I just recently found a barely used set of idea pro 5-pw at a golf warehouse store for only $180.00. It was like fate because thats all i needed. I just started playing golf in the summer of ’09 and bought a box set of Adams Tight lies to start out with but just felt like it was time to improve to some forged irons and there they were on the used shelf but look almost new. Now as an average 100 golfer i’d been gradually looking for something to improve my game into the 90’s and bought new titleist wedges most recently but changed all my other clubs months ago except the mid irons. I’d previously got a new Callaway Hyper X driver, used Nike 3-wood, and found Adams a305, 2-5 hybrids brand new at Academy on clearance for only 17.99 ea. But since months went by it got into my head to also change my mid irons and now i found some, and what a difference they have made. I have been able to increase my distances and shave ten strokes off my score in just two weeks of getting used to the pro clubs. Until this thread i didn’t realize my Adams Pro were out that long but they are great. I have the fortune to play almost everyday and now instead of trying to break a 90 score i’m skipping straight to the mid 80’s. I used to have trouble hitting the 5-iron but last week the forged pro has put me 3ft to the pin for birdie from 180yds on a blind shot, and i’ve worked a draw around a tree to the green also. I once had a huge gap from the 6-iron to my 5-hybrid (i used to not be able or confident to hit the 5iron) but now my new 5 iron adams pro fills that gap. I just have two 5’s in my bag the Iron and the 5-hybrid which gives me any where from 180 to up to 230 yds. I really like my bag set up now and hope to break 80 before this summer is over. Reading those older posts about the shaft and the heaviness of the forged irons gave me reassurance that if i keep working at it they will get my game where i want to be fast.
Scott, get yourself the Adams 5-hybrid to fill that gap. It has worked for me.
I want to redo the grooves on my Adams irons. Where do I find the specs on those so I use the correct groove size? Are they a “U” or a “V”. I bought a groove tool with six cleaners on it.
Can you help?
It’s Boxing Day 2020 and I had to leave a comment as I feel I might be the luckiest golfer alive to have found a set of these that were almost brand spanking new. Additionally, they had been reshafted with Aldila NV green stiff graphites. I paid the ridiculous price of $50 for the 5 thru GW but thats not the end of the story. Holding them was a brand new Adams bag and it had a brand new Taylormade burner sand wedge that had never been hit and a black dot Ping Tour 60 lob wedge. Well I’ve fallen in love with the Adams irons and the Ping LW, sold the bag with the Taylormade wedge and a garage sale set of ladies clubs that I picked up for $10 for a cool profit of $60. Being 71 and a 6 handicap, I will tell you this is the best set of irons I have ever played. If you can find a used set of these, buy ’em you’ll love ’em.